Despite a flattening adoption curve, we currently have the most competitive EV market ever. Multiple manufacturers offer 800-volt architectures, just about every automaker sells at least one, often multiple, EVs, and the Tesla Supercharger networks has been cracked wide open with other automakers hopping aboard the system and starting to offer NACS support. In contrast, Tesla has just given the Model S sedan another facelift, one that probably won’t turn sales around, considering this sedan’s been on the market since 2012.
Right out of the gate, the first things you’ll notice are the new Plaid-specific front-and-rear bumpers with more aggressive reliefs and styling elements. Considering the Plaid used to look basically identical to the regular Model S, this is surely a welcome upgrade for people who want to show off. At the same time, more aerodynamic wheel designs help boost the range of the standard Model S from 405 miles to 410 miles, and the Plaid sees a boost from 348 miles to 368, while a new frost blue color is, indeed, blue.
As for toys, the updated Model S finally gets a camera on the front fascia like, you know, a $27,570 Nissan Kicks SR. Matrix headlight beams join the party, although they’ve been available in Europe for years. The dashboard and door cards now feature the same sort of ambient lighting you get in a Model 3, and active noise cancellation has been allegedly improved.
As for under the skin, new bushings as part of an updated suspension package are on deck, but that’s about as far as mechanical tweaks go. At the same time, Tesla has hiked pricing by $5,000, meaning the standard Model S now starts at $90,880 including freight, and the Plaid starts at $101,380 including freight. It’s all thoroughly underwhelming to me, and if this is what we can expect for the next few years, the Model S is only going to fall further behind its competition.
Starting ages ago, Tesla fans really loved calling established brands legacy automakers, but now Tesla’s first mass-market product is, in many ways, the legacy car in the entire EV landscape. It’s been around for 13 whole years, and while it’s seen two major updates in that time, it just isn’t fresh enough.
We’ve been seeing the same shape since Lamborghini still made the Gallardo; people can now buy electric sedans that are even quicker than the Plaid and better all-around performers; almost everyone who’s wanted a Model S already owns one; and existing owners who want something new are absolutely spoiled for choice.
For example, if you want a glamorous electric sedan that’s spiritually a successor to Tesla’s once-groundbreaking liftback, the Lucid Air is on the market with Tesla-beating range and charging, great suspension tuning, loads of interior space, competitive pricing against the Model S Long Range, and none of the baggage.
Want either a hatch or Plaid-beating acceleration and aren’t sensitive on price? The updated Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo has an amazing charging curve and proper handling, and the Taycan Turbo GT is a far more impressive overall performance package than Tesla’s quickest vehicle, but they are considerably more expensive than comparable Model S trims.
Yes, if you’re in it for straight-line speed and your local dragstrip has a long shutdown, the Model S Plaid is still the quickest new car you can get for the money, but it’s worth noting that, especially these days, it also comes with some notable compromises compared to the competitive set.
At this point, the Tesla Model S is a dinosaur [Ed Note: I’s weird calling something with the Model S’s level of technology a “dinosaur,” especially given the rolling updates it’s received, but you can’t argue that the competition hasn’t caught up and that this shape is a little too familiar by now. -DT], and another round of updates isn’t going to go very far. Tesla doesn’t seem interested in completely replacing it, which feels like a mistake. Cox Automotive’s Q1 EV sales report found that Tesla had sold 1,280 Model S sedans in America over that period, down 69 percent year-over-year and trailing sales of other similarly-priced luxury EVs like the Porsche Macan Electric (3,339 units), the Rivian R1S (5,357 units), and the BMW i5 (1,899 units). The Model S has enjoyed a good run, but it feels like the time to turn the page is coming soon.
Top graphic credit: Tesla
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The S actually looks pretty fetching in that light silver. I don’t recall ever seeing one in that color.
What surprised me from reading this article, is that Rivian sold 5,357 of something so ugly.
And I may be in the minority, but the Lucid Air looks bloated to me.
They are all cars that I will never spend that kind of money on.
My issue with most the Tesla’s style-wise is that they all look way too similar. Back when they were the only game in town, maybe it didn’t matter so much. Seems they wanted to take the same tack as Apple in that every iPhone pretty much looks the same: you have to count the number of cameras on the back or check out the sides of a model to figure out if it’s a Pro or standard model. I’m surrounded by Teslas (Los Angles) and it’s often hard to tell the Model S from the Model 3. And if you’re shelling out that much money, you want people to be able to tell the difference. Cars are about swagger. Maybe after another generation or two dies this will change, but they aren’t just toasters yet.
It’s the Crown Victoria of luxury ev’s.
The S, design-wise, is aging like the best wine out there.
It started out bland, soft, with good proportions but sort of wobbly and weak.
And it’s been going more toned and different yet the same with every subtle restyling, looking better and better. It turns out it needed so, so little to look good.
I am not commenting on interior, on steering wheels, blinker stalks and intermittent wipers through touchscreen menu, which I’ll attribute as generic elonisms. It’s just that it looks better, and better, and better, at every itteration.
And it doesn’t hurt that so far it has not decided it needs to reinvent the wheel as far as wheel design goes, and keeps them good looking as well.
A Lucid, I must say, despite its overwhelming overall betterness, looks like a 90s Buick made of chocolate that half melted on the shelf and was frantically put in the freezer. The sedan one. The Gravity is doing better.
Disagree about the Lucid Air. It looks sharp, elegant, understated, yet desirable with the je ne sais quoi of classic sporty sedans like the E38.
The Model S is starting to look as oldas the Model T.
I see a good number of Lucid Air sedans around here and it is head, shoulders, knees, and toes above the Model S in nearly every way. The S retains some nice surfacing and Plaid models have a great wheel to body. But that interior. Ooof. The Lucid has just a lovely place to be in.
It’s two cars in one. The best looking Tesla you’ve ever seen, and the best looking Tesla you’ll ever see.
The mk1 Roadster was attractive, too, but pretty rare
The looks were all Lotus, not Tesla, though.
I thought about that, but since the skin is Lotus I didn’t extend credit.
Oh yay. They keep making it uglier. The first facelift that removed the gloss-black fake ‘grille’ was the best iteration. It’s been downhill since.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/2018_Tesla_Model_S_75D.jpg/960px-2018_Tesla_Model_S_75D.jpg?20190222024203
I think their design language looks better on this car than anything else, but thats about the only argument I can think of for keeping it around.
The design is boring and dated AF, it still has an interior made of Fisher-Price-quality plastics, and probably looks like it was assembled by a bunch of drunk 7-year-olds. Why anyone would pay almost $100k for this when there are so many better options now is beyond me.
I honestly wonder how hard these depreciate, given the variety of a reasons a tesla might lose value in 2025. You could buy a model 3, set 50 grand on fire and be realistically in almost the same spot
To be fair, the 2021-era update improved materials in a big way. I still think it’s got some cheap bits for the price, but so does my 2025 Lyriq.
Still, the 2021+ Model S and X are heads and shoulders above the earlier runs.
It’s a tired, low effort facelift for a supposedly flagship model.
They’ve could’ve at least adopted the design language of the facelifted 3 and Y.
I guess when the cybercuck is your “true” flagship even the car that built the company gets left behind
Makes you wonder if Musk & Co are trying to match a record for longest production timeframe for a modern car without structural updates….
….or if his development staff are just lazy.
As long as Chevy continues making the Express, Tesla’s got a loooooong way to go.
I don’t think it is a problem of the development staff being lazy, just Elon had them work on stupid projects like the Cyber Turd, which was a serious, if misguided, task.
Maybe it’s just seeing too many of them around town but the average Tesla just feels very boring and generic. Their owners seem to never personalize them beyond factory stock. There are never any bumper stickers or anything. Just blue model 3, red model y, another blue model 3, etc.
Which is a bummer because they do have some fun colors. Never buying one what with the CEO sieg heiling and everything else though.
I’ve been seeing a lot with bumper stickers lately. Most saying “I bought this before Elon went crazy”
“I hate Elon but can’t afford to get rid of this” would be a good sticker.
I’ve seen quite a few with “Anti Elon Tesla Club” and one ” F Elon” sticker. There are a handful of wrapped ones too. But yeah sitting at pretty much any given light and you’ll see at least 2 white 3’s around here.
I saw a Model 3 today that had a bumper sticker with Elon and a red international NO diagonal slash through his name.
I don’t think I’ll ever do something similar with Sochiro.
Tesla has adopted the Apple iPhone philosophy of updating its products in small increments. Thing is, even Apple does a good aesthetic and features added update every other year, and its product is a rectangle.